Light. It was streaming through the glass and straight into my eyes. I stirred, sleepily, eyes fluttering open as I straightened up in my chair, stretching the cramps out of my back.

"Ya know if you keep falling asleep in chairs you'll ruin your back."

I shot to attention, glancing at where the voice came from.

"Havoc. You're awake! How do you feel?"

Another voice came from the other side of the room.

"Well fine then, ignore me, I'm alright, thanks for asking."

I waved off Mustang's complaints.

"You'll be fine, your file wasn't even tagged."

I saw him stiffen out of the corner of my eye.

"My file is coded, you shouldn't even have been able to read it."

I restrained the urge to roll my eyes, glancing at him,

"Yeah, stupidly simple cryptogram. You should invest in better security, it only took me 14 seconds to do the whole thing. I'm getting a little slow, I haven't had much opportunity to practice."

My eyes went back to Havoc, "So, are you alright?"

He looked at me, expression blank, and I feared for the worst.

Then he smiled, "I feel fine. Doctors say I'll be able to leave in as little as a week."

I sighed, slumping back into my chair. "Grazie Dio, I was worried about you. The spine isn't something to fuck around with. If you weren't in a hospital bed right now I would hit you for taking stupid risks."

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure Hawkeye will do enough for everyone once she gets back."

"Back? She was here already?"

He nodded, "She was furious at us for getting injured, and she wasn't too keen on letting you stay in that chair."

I sighed, "Damn, I really gotta find a way to get that woman to like me or life will be hell."

I clapped my hands together and Mustang winced,

"Alright then, what's on the agenda for today? While you are temporarily incapacitated I shall be your legs."

Both of them glanced at one another and then at me, having a silent conversation. My heart dropped.

"The thing with my legs…"

My heart sunk faster, threatening to combust, I sat up straight, stiffly waiting for the dreaded words.

"This morning I made a nurse faint. You see, the doctors determined that there was nothing they could do about the injury to my spine, they didn't know enough about it, didn't have the right tools. However, no one told me this, and I was on my way back to bed from using the bathroom when Nurse Maggie came in, screamed, and fell over. When she woke up, she explained it to us, and that the only visitor we had was you, who somehow slept through that whole fiasco. We signed you in as a visitor by the way. Want to explain what happened?"

The relief that he was fine hit me, and I sagged back into my seat.

"Yeah, it was me. I was worried as hell that it wouldn't make a difference. The fact that you didn't even notice a problem when you woke is good news though."

Mustang picked up where Havoc left off, ignoring what I said.

"Don't play games here, I know alchemic exhaustion when I see it, and-wait, what?"

I gave him a funny look.

"I said it was me. Back where I'm from medicine is much more advanced than it is here. It wouldn't have been possible for me personally, but here I have Alchemy, so recovery is 10 times faster than it would have been if there had been the normal surgery. As it is, since it worked, he should be back to proper military fitness levels in under a month. Go slow on the running though, don't push yourself too much too early, and for God's sake do your stretches. I'd hate to have to put you back together again."

Roy looked at me curiously, eyes dark, seeming to see into my soul. I wanted to look away from them, but knew the moment was likely important.

"Is this all the medical alchemy you've dabbled in?"

My thoughts flashed back to the night of Hughes' death.

I drew three circles directly onto the tarp, quickly measuring out substances. I ran my finger along the line of circles, setting them off one after another and my project began to form. A human heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, brain, one after another the organs formed. Once they were all done, dry, having never touched human blood or done their intended purposes, I placed them on a different canvas. There were seven circles placed along it, I ignored them for the moment, setting my grotesque puzzle pieces down as they would correspond to a human body. This next bit was bordering on human transmutation, but I didn't want life in this case. I just needed a shell. I clapped my hands, and touched the paper. The materials scattered along it shifted, light flowing and crackling around them. There was a seconds delay, and they shifted again, forming into skin, muscle, and veins, lifting the organs into their proper places.

I was working with a specific plan in mind. Hughes' military physical pulled up in my mind palace, guiding the scars and defining markings, as well as height and weight. Once the materials had nearly settled I reached over, touching yet another circle. This one flashed around metal and blue fabric, swirling to create the uniform of Hughes rank, even the ink stain on the right wrist, wrapping around the newly forming body. I watched as calluses formed right before leather swirled around the body's feet. Science my ass, this shit is soooo magic. What was less magical was hauling the not-a-corpse into the phone booth. I was glad I hadn't done the transmutation at home, I wouldn't have been able to haul it that far. Recreating the shot was something I had to close my eyes for once I'd aimed, and even then it was going to haunt my dreams forever.

I smirked, "Not at all."

At that moment the door burst in, a woman who I assumed was Nurse Maggie scanned the room, a harried look on her face. Her eyes alighted on me.

"Are you Sergeant Arcaro?"

I nodded, "Yeah, is there a problem?"

She shook her head, "There's a young man on the line for you, claims he's a State Alchemist, he's terrorizing everyone at the desks, and he refuses to let us take a message."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Mustang.

"You expecting word from Strawberry Blonde Shortcake anytime soon?"

He snorted, "No, but I'm keeping that nickname."

I rolled my eyes at him as he chortled in the background, Havoc joining him. I turned to the nurse, taking off my coat, and leaving it on my chair.

"I'll come rescue you from the big bad Major, lead the way, ma'am."

She looked ridiculously grateful. When we got to the nurses station they were buzzing around, all avoiding one phone, lying innocently on its side at the table in front of the wall-mounted public phone. I rolled my eyes at them, picking it up and placing it over my ear.

"This is Arcaro."

"Stephanie!"

I heard a shout from the background on the other side, and a short scuffle, then Al was on the phone.

"I've been meaning to call you while we were traveling but Brother never would let me stop long enough, and then when he did call he started scaring the nurses, I'm sorry. We called your house, but Hawkeye answered, she said you were at the hospital, and we got worried, are you alright?"

My mind nearly shut down. Hawkeye was in my house? Was it really Hawkeye or was it Envy? Then again if it had been Envy then he would have answered as me. Maybe.

"Ah, no I'm fine. Just Havoc and Mustang being idiots again, doing God knows what to get each other into trouble. I'm fine, thank you for worrying, though, that's nice of you."

There was embarrassed sputtering and then the phone was wrenched away from him.

Edwards' voice emanated from the phone.

"Hey, Arcaro, there was a tourist or two that we met in these ruins we were visiting. Two of them knew you, said you met when they were sick. One of them said your banana pudding was a miracle worker, care to share?"

He sounded triumphant and ecstatic. Banana...Oh, he met Hughes. That put a damper on some of my plans. Then again, he wasn't likely to tell anyone, but just to be sure…

"Now now Elric, don't go telling all my secrets. That pudding is for special occasions only. And anyway, I'm much too busy knitting those periwinkle socks I mentioned to cook much of anything."

He laughed, sounding happier than I'd ever heard him.

"Understood, Sergeant. I suppose we'll have to talk about that secret pudding recipe another time."

He hung up, no goodbye, or see you another time. I didn't take offense. That was just Edward. It may be good to have him in on everything. It certainly takes some of the burden off of myself. A slightly selfish sentiment, but it felt true nonetheless, he's highly competent, not to mention probably the greatest alchemist currently alive. I made my way back to the room, nearly turning and running out again when I saw Hawkeye. I shifted under her gaze, unsure if I should leave or not. Finally, she shoved the bag she had into my hands.

"Get dressed, there's work to do. I took the liberty of stopping by your apartment to grab your things….You keep a very clean house."

I watched her suspiciously, waiting for a jab to follow. Nothing. I sidled out slowly,

"Thanks."

Before I could escape she halted me with a look.

"You received a phone call while I was there. Edward was trying to reach you. It seemed important."

I shrugged,

"Just pudding. I already talked to him. If you'll excuse me."

I made my escape, ducking into one of the bathrooms for long-term military use, showering quickly and changing into my uniform. I tugged my wet hair up into a bun as best I could.

When I reached the room again, I peered carefully inside, only to find Hawkeye looking at me. She rolled her eyes,

"Come on Arcaro, we have work to do at the office while these two terrorize the hospital staff."

She strode off and I barely had time to wave goodbye before I was rushing off after her.

Omake:

Unseen to Arcaro as she rushes off to change:

Roy waits for the sounds of the Sergeant's boots to fade, then gives it another few seconds just in case, before twisting to face Riza,
"You know that girl is absolutely convinced that you hate her, right?"

Riza blinked once in surprise, brow furrowing as Jean snickered in the background.
"Is that why every time I approach her she hands me completed paperwork, whether it's due or not, and apologizes profusely about something?"

"Yeah, I would assume so."

"...That also explains the watches and regimented schedule implemented religiously after that one incident."

Jean, gasping for breath, buts in. "Some of the IOUs I bet are running interference. Like if there's no coffee I have to be the one to tell you instead of her. Easiest IOUs I have to offer that shark, don't you dare take those from me."

Riza's scowl deepened, ignoring the two men bantering behind her as she looked over past interactions in a new light. She'd never been the fuzzy feelings sort of person, but to inspire true terror in one of her subordinates who were meant to trust and rely on her…

Movement from the doorway drew her eye and she noticed the Sergeant in question just barely poking her head around the corner and into the room nervously. Well, this was as good a time as any to try to fix things.

/./

~TimeLordOfPie